Computer-breaking problem

[Dizzle]

I'm going to start this by saying I have no idea if this is actually a KSP related bug, but whatever the problem is, it originates in the KSP folder.

Last night, I attempted to load up the game, but it failed to do so, instead displaying a blank load bar when the game launched. I attempted to validate game files, which caused severe computer lag until Steam was forcibly closed. Afterwards, any time Steam tried to access KSP in any way (validating files, launching, attempted uninstall), the whole system would lag until steam was force-closed. Since Steam wants to update any time it starts, even with the action paused, there will be at least some lag. I ended up trying to delete the game manually, but found that the lag returned when attempting to delete it manually as well, requiring a force-closing of Windows Explorer. At this point I'll mention that the task manager shows no difference in CPU or RAM usage while this lag is occurring.

I started deleting bits and pieces of KSP, until only Gamedata > Squad remained, so I don't think this could have resulted from a mod, since they should all be uninstalled at this point. Attempting to access the Squad folder causes the lag to start again, requiring a force-quit of Explorer. That's as close as I can get before the whole thing totally locks up. However, I believe whatever the problem is may originate in the Agencies folder, as it's the only subfolder to have been modified today.

I'd really appreciate some help with this.

Edit: Right-clicking the remaining folder and selecting Properties causes explorer to freeze, but shows that it has a filesize of 0 bytes.

Edit Edit: Solution for Googlers.

1: Click the windows button.

2: Select My Computer

3: Right click the drive on which the problems are located.

4: Select Properties, and click the Tools tab.

5: Under the option that says error-checking, click Check Now.

6: The box that says "Automatically fix file system errors should already be checked. If it's not, check it. Leave the other box unchecked.

7: Click start, and it will tell you that it can't check because the drive is in use. Agree to schedule a check, and restart your computer.

It will automatically start the process during startup. Once it starts finding the bad sectors, progress will become much slower. It should look something like this:

Do not shut off your computer, or you may risk data loss. In my case, there were 20 bad sectors, and the whole process took about half an hour. I can't stress enough that while it may seem to have stopped working, just give it time. If you like, keep an eye out for any files you recognize. You may find that there were bad sectors in places you didn't expect. For example, below you see an error called "Partlist", which is most likely the KSP location that this thread was made for. However, I also recognize "pcsx2", a Playstation 2 emulator. Had I attempted to use that program, I probably would have experienced the same lag that accessing KSP caused.

After CheckDisk finishes, your computer will automatically restart. You should now be lag-free, as I was, but be warned. All of this is likely a sign of a failing drive, so I'd recommend backing up your files elsewhere now. Actually, do that anyway. My drive may last another day or 5 years, but I always recommend getting an external drive to keep things backed up on. External drives are like, so, so great you guys. Hope this helped.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Dizzle

[sal_vager]

I'd try poking around the files in safemode to be honest.

[Awaras]

Sounds like a file system/HDD error. Have you tried scanning your drive for errors?

[Dizzle]

Solved! Running CheckDisk found and repaired and/or deleted numerous bad sectors, including the one in the KSP folder. I'll update this post in a bit with more info in case this shows up in a Google search.

[Awaras]

Finding bad sectors is not good news. It can mean hdd failure in the near future. It's not guaranteed to happen (I've seen HDD's work for years after finding bad sectors), but I would back up anything you cant afford to lose to some other form of storage just to be safe.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Awaras